I love peanut butter, avocado and oatmeal. Not together of course, but nearly any recipe that calls for these ingredients I'll probably enjoy. I have the misfortune of living with some food sensitivities but the extreme fortune of knowing what those sensitivities are - gluten (only mild, thank goodness), nightshades, lactose, and refined sugar. I'm not a formally trained chef, but I love cooking (and eating!) delicious, guilt-free food. I'm a fitness model, certified nutrition coach, trainer and an IFBB pro bikini athlete... and I eat 6 times a day. When I'm not in the kitchen preparing something extraordinary, I'm - in the gym, rushing off to an audition, at a photo shoot, studying nutrition, or planning a vacation. Hope you enjoy my site! For nutrition consultations or more information on training, contact me at summerwhitefitness@gmail.com

Turkey Sweet Potato Chili with Kale

Lunch has got to be one of my favorite times of the day. I have already gotten so much done and still have half the day to look forward to. Right about now I’ll be feeling like another cup of matcha green tea. Not because I’m sleepy at all, but because its soothing and continues to provide me with energy through to my evening workout.

Lunch is a time to relax and unwind from hectic mornings. It’s also a time to nourish your brain and body, giving it fuel for the rest of the day. I always eat a combination of protein, green veggies, and slow digesting (low glycemic index) complex carbohydrates and honestly the possibilities for this combo are endless! Lately, cooking lunch has been so much fun.

I have been staying away from the boring bodybuilder or fitness diet of chicken, brown rice and broccoli (there’s only so much you can eat before you realize what you’re missing out on!). I really wanted to incorporate a bit of legumes into my life, to help my bowels get back to normal. So I’ve been experimenting with chili.

There are a million chili recipe’s floating around on the ‘net, but almost all of them call for tomatoes, peppers, chili powders, cayenne, or paprika… scrumptious, but a nightshade sensitive person’s nightmare. I also wanted to stay away from adding carrots, corn, or thickening agents, keeping it totally clean. You can enjoy this recipe any time of the year, and if you’re not too concerned with extra fat and carbs, it would perfectly pair with vegan cheddar and a hefty slice of cornbread (wait, wouldn’t everything pair well with cornbread!).

Staying with the culinary trend, I decided to add bulk to this turkey chili with the help of oh-so-popular kale. As SocialMediaWeek.org asked, “who is kale’s pr agent?” I need them in my life! I prefer working with tuscan (aka dino) kale because it is so easy to wash and separate from it’s stem, but you can use any type of kale you like.

This chili is so hearty and flavorful and start to finish takes me less than 35 minutes to prepare (don’t fret if you go over on your first try, I’ve mastered the art of multi-tasking!). It also saves very well, so feel free to double up on this recipe and refrigerate or freeze for future no-fuss meals